One of the earliest known philosophical inquiries into the nature of creativity was Plato's Theory of Ideas, which ascribes all creativity to the supernatural. Only the gods had the power to create, and new ideas were planted in the minds of people by divine forces- a fire that burned within every human that we could tap to solve problems. While the idea of the supernatural origins of creativity doesn't enjoy a great deal of currency these days, what has remained is the notion that-save for few paint-happy chimps and elephants - creativity is fundamentally human. The course of every civilization can be described as a succession of innovations driven by human creativity. Our capacity for continuous improvement through creative exploration and expression is one of the hallmarks of the species.